5 Winter Wedding Themes for Your Tablescapes

You can keep your June garden weddings. For me, nothing's better than a winter event. Maybe it's the festive atmosphere that already dominates the season. Or perhaps it's my near-pathological love of all things Christmas.

You can keep your June garden weddings. For me, nothing's better than a winter event. Maybe it's the festive atmosphere that already dominates the season. Or perhaps it's my near-pathological love of all things Christmas. Either way, these 5 popular winter wedding themes easily translate into some pretty fabulous table decor.

Rustic Christmas

This classic yuletide theme incorporates the best of rustic weddings with a dose of holiday spirit. Think lots of red and green touches combined with burlap, fresh pine, and holly berries. This theme is so popular because you can really achieve it at any budget. If you have a less-is-more bottom line, go low cost on centerpieces. Wrap pine bough wreaths with twine, add a red ribbon and some berries, and call it a night. This creative couple below named each of their twelve tables with the corresponding lyric from "Twelve Days of Christmas." If you are able to be a bit more glam, use more luxe touches like tartan wool table linens (above), or a reception space filled with classically decorated Christmas trees.

Black and White

While black and white weddings are popular year round, it also makes a particularly exceptional winter wedding theme. Especially if you are in a snowy climate, this simple and stark color palette perfectly reflects that of the outdoor landscape surrounding you. A bit moody and very, very glam, these winter tablescapes are clean and modern. Plus, as a bonus, there is nothing easier in this world to find than black and white details. Below, proof that a place setting can be simple and statement-making: this striking menu paired with a ribbon-wrapped sprig.

If you want to warm your black and white wedding up, use more winter white in your decor. Fill quiet corners with loads of candles (above). Furniture at your venue? Bring in white wool throws and pillows to create cozy atmosphere by the fireplace.

With black and white, your winter tablescape need not be complicated. Find a dazzling table linen that you love, and use it on tables to keep your floral costs down. This bold black and white striped tablecloth (below) needs little more than a bud vase and votives to jazz it up. This color palette works for both modern brides who like to keep things minimalist, and those that enjoy over-the-top decadence.

Retro Pastels

I think it's time to bring on the fun. And nothing is more whimsical than a 1960s take on the Christmas season. A palette filled with pastel shades of aqua, mint, and pink, this non-traditional holiday statement is oh-so-right for the retro bride. Now, a quick warning: this theme is not for the inexperienced hand. It can easily descend into Santa's Craft Workshop after a cocoa bender. Find your color palette and decor details and don't stray from them. Love ornaments? Make them your main detail, using them in milk glass bowls and underneath glass domes (below). But don't combine ornaments and sugared wreaths and painted deer and pink garland.

Personally, I love centerpieces consisting of bottlebrush trees (seen in pink below and white above, left). They have just the right amount of Charlie Brown nostalgia and come in a crazy array of colors. You can stick to just the trees, or create vignettes with sugared cottages or vintage glass ornaments.

If you like your retro with a healthy side of modern, incorporate this year's big "woodland" trend into your decor. Keep the kitsch to a minimum, and instead just use ornaments or bottlebrush trees alongside similarly colored candles and spray painted deer (below, right). And a silver or pink painted pine cone would also be right at home here!

Luxurious Metallics

Particularly if your wedding date falls on December 31st, there is no better theme than one with rich metallics. As a rule, gold warm a room up, whereas silver adds to a "chilly" atmosphere, so whether you combine them or go with just one, it's a winner for any winter tablescape. You can purchase metallic spray paint if you prefer a slightly more matte version of gold than glitter, but these sparkly branches are pretty great, aren't they?

And this is an unbelievably affordable and easy DIY project that you can take on (just not the night before the big event, okay?). This centerpiece below is composed of three main pieces: a standard woodcut that you can use as-is, branches coated in a thin glue and then dipped in glitter, and Mason jars that have been painted black with matte spray paint.

Other details you can easily glam up? Do a pink and gold ombre on champagne bottles to either jazz up your bar, or as stand alone centerpieces (below, left). Or just float silver sequins in a round bud vase. Just make sure that for maximum impact on any of these that you add candlelight or white lights to really get the oomph of all the sparkle.

This centerpiece below uses the glittery wine bottle with other monochromatic details in silver and gray such as tulle and a bejeweled votive. This would be ideal for a New Year's Eve welcome table, greeting guests with a heavy dose of glam!

Natural Woodland Winter

Love winter, but don't want to incorporate holiday themes? Highlight the simple beauty of the winter season by bringing in seasonal greenery. This winter wedding theme is all about bringing the outdoors in. And, yes, lots and lots and lots of candlelight.

I can't decide which one of these mossy candle holders I love more. I love the Dutch influence in these mini moss planters, but I've also never been able to turn down a terrarium. Both will add so much warmth to your tables, and would be especially fetching on pretty wood tables sans linens.

For a woodsy DIY project, you can affix the ends of small tree branches to hurricane candle holders. Save yourself some worry and make sure the greenery does not go above the glass. Otherwise, table 12 might have an interesting story to tell about the quick-thinking off-duty fireman sitting at table 13.

Although the branch centerpiece (below, right) is obviously set at a less woodsy wedding, it does illustrate well the effect of a branch and flower centerpiece. When the room is dark, the candlelight will lightly illuminate the crystals, creating a glowing, sparkly look.

Lastly, this cake table perfectly encapsulates this winter wedding theme. From the pine cone toppers to the bough garland, you don't need to look at the calendar to realize you are at a winter wedding.